Automatic railway-switch.



No. 660,3!5. Patented Oct. 23, I900.

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AUTQMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH. (A ialiention men 00C. 17, 1999.

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No. 660,315. Patented Oct. 23, I900.

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AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed. Oct. 17, i699.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WVILLIAM SCHOENEWALD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,31 5, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed O ober 17, 1899. Serial No. 733,907,. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cer- Iain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Railway-Switches, of which the followrods 0 and O, as shown in Fig. l, and these ing is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in automatic railway-switches and mechanism for operating the same, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and effective arrangement by which a street or other railway switch may be placed under the control of the motorman and be automatically thrown, so as to determine the course of the car, and when the carvis past the switch be replaced by spring action.

With these ends in view this in vent-ion consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of acar and a portion of a track, showing my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan view of a switch made in accordance with my improvement; and Fig. 3, a section at the line was of Fig. 2, showing the switching-lever in position to operate the switch prior to the wheels of the car passing thereon.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the main track, B the turnout, and C the switch-point, properly pivoted within the frog, and this point has a lug E depending downward therefrom into the box F. A spring G is attached to .the lug E and to one end of the box, as shown at H, so as to normally hold the switch-point in the position shown in Fig. 2that is to say, in such a position as to open the turnoutP and permit a car coming in the direction of the arrow to pass upon the branch track B. A lever I is pivoted at J to the blockKand has formed therewith a lug L, which also projects within the box H, and is connected with the spring G it is only necessary to force the lever outward.

The car N has hinged thereto the switchingrods are so formed and located that when they are swung downward to the position shown upon the right ofthe car-wheels they willfirst engage the lever I and force thesame outward against the action of the spring G, drawing with it the switch-point, which, as already described, will set said point and permit the car to continue in its passage upon the main line A.

When the first paiiyof Wheels haspassed the switch-point, the spring G will return said point toit-s normal position; but just be fore the second pair of wheels reaches said point it will be again operated by the switching-rod O, which will permit these-wheels to follow the first named. For convenience in operating the switching-rods they'are connected by the rod P, which is pivoted thereto, its forward end being pivoted to the disk Q, said disk having pivoted thereto a footpost R, projecting through the platform of the car in order that it may be in easy reach of the motorman. As is obvious from thisdescription it is only necessary for the motorman when he desires to continue upon the main track to press upon this foot-post, thereby depressing the switching-rods and bringing them into position to act upon the leverI, and thus place the switch-point in proper position; but should it be desired that the car pass upon the branch track B the foot-post is not depressed,in which case the switching-rods remain in their elevated position by reason of the springs S, attached thereto. It will be noted that there are two sets of the switchingrods 0 and O and two sets of mechanism for bringing about their operations, so that the switch may be under the control of the motorman from eitherend of the car, thus avoid ing the necessity of having to turn the car when reaching the terminus of the road.

Much time is lost and inconvenience occa- This,

sioned by the use of ordinary switches upon street-railways, since for the shifting of the same the car must be stopped and the motorman leave the platform to operate the switch-point by a hand-rod; but such disadvantages are entirely overcome by the use of my improvements, which provide for the operation of the switch by the movement of the car under the control of the motorman without stopping, and in crowded streets and upon car-lines where many turnouts or branch lines are necessary this is of considerable importance.

The cost of manufacturing and equipping a switch with my improvement is comparatively small, as it requires only the addition to the switch-point of the lever I and the spring G.

When the car is running upon the main line in the opposite direction from the arrow in Fig. 2, its wheels will open the switchpoint against the action of the spring G, and thus the progress of the car will not be interfered with, and likewise a car running in this direction upon the branch track will pass to the main line without interference, since the switch-point normally lies open to this line.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact arrangement here shown, since it is objection or latch formed thereon adapted to enter into engagement with the walls of the hole through which it passes, whereby the motorman after depressing this post looks it in position, so as to hold the switching-rods in activity, and thus operate the switches asthe car passes along the road, so as to cause the car to continue to run upon the main line, and when he desires to pass upon a turnout or branch line the foot-post may be freed, so as to leave the switches in their normal condition.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is-- In combination with a switch-rod carried by and operated from a car, a switch-point pivoted within a frog, a lug projecting downwardly from said point, a lever, a lug formed upon said lever, 'a threaded rod run through apertures of the lugs of the switch-point and lever, means on the rods for adjusting the relative positions of the switch-point with relation to the lever and a spring having one end secured to an eye of the rod and its opposite end secured to a stationary object under the road-bed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SOHOENE WALD.

Witnesses:

THEO. H. MGCALLA, NEUToN J. BURNETT. 

